- What makes a number lucky or unlucky in China?
- Lucky numbers in Chinese
- Unlucky numbers in Chinese
- Lucky number combinations in Chinese
- The Chinese Zodiac and numbers in Chinese
- Chinese numerology: 大写 and 小写
It’s safe to say that many superstitions still exist in China, especially among the older generations.
From way back in the old days up to today, numbers have played a significant role in decision-making in China, and the superstition around numbers has been exported all over the world by Chinese communities.
In a lot of cases, the Chinese choose lucky numbers and avoid unlucky numbers in a variety of situations. For example, when choosing cellphone numbers, wedding dates, apartment numbers, license plates, etc.
But what makes a number lucky or unlucky in China?
In China, the lucky or unlucky-ness of a number usually depends on the number’s pronunciation , and whether this pronunciation is similar to words that connote good stuff or bad stuff.
Let’s take a look at the number 6 as an example:
- 6 (六) is pronounced liù in Chinese
- To ‘flow’ (流) is pronounced similarly as líu.
- The implication is that the number 6 means stuff will flow smoothly.
Lucky Numbers in Chinese
Two
The number two (二), prounounced èr, as well as other variations of the word, might be the second most valuable number in Chinese culture behind the number eight.
This number suggests harmony and balance, as good things usually come in pairs. House and office decorations are usually decked out in twos, like 2 candles, 2 pillows, etc.
If you attend a Chinese wedding ceremony, you might notice doors, gates and windows with a paper-cut 囍, pronounced xǐ, meaning double happiness, stuck on them.
Three
Number 3 (三), pronounced sān, is one of the luckiest odd numbers due to its similarity in sound to 产 (chǎn), meaning birth.
This number also represents the three stages in the life of humans – birth, marriage, and death.
Depending on its use, the number three can be unlucky, too. For example, gifting to friends or to couples will rarely contain multiples of three. The pronunciation of sān is similar to 散 which means ‘to part ways’.
Six
As has already been mentioned, the number six is considered lucky in Chinese culture. In addition to meaning ‘flowing smoothly’, six can also mean ‘well-off’.
Are you noticing a theme here? Yes, the Chinese like money.
On special occasions when gifts are given in China, they usually include something centred around a lucky number. For example, when a couple gets engaged, the man customarily offers a gift to the girl’s family which is usually money (RMB 6,666).
In China, it’s not uncommon to have new ventures or contracts signed on dates that have 6 in them.
Seven
Like number three, number seven has positive and negative connotations. Seven (七) is pronounced qī, which sounds similar to both 起 (qǐ), which means ‘start’ or ‘rise’, and also 气 (qì), which means ‘vital energy’.
Seven can also be seen as a lucky number in relationships. Chinese Valentine’s Day, also known as The Qixi Festival (七夕節), falls on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar.
Eight
Eight has long been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese. Bā which sounds similar to fā, connotes financial success, prosperity, and high social status. This means the number 8 is very important to people in the world of business.
If it’s on a building, the eight floor is the most in demand in terms of occupancy and value.
The opening sceremony for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 began at exactly 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 pm on the 8th August, the 8th month of the 8th year of the 21st century.
Nine
Number nine (九), pronounced jiǔ, means eternal life or longevity.
To explain to you how Chinese take the number 9 seriously, in the Forbidden City in Beijing, there are 9,999 rooms.
It is also a practice between sweethearts to give 99 roses for the belief of best wishes for their everlasting love.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
| two | 二 (two)，两 (two of something)，双 (pair or double) | èr, liǎng, shuāng |
| three | 三 | sān |
| to birth, to produce | 产 | chǎn |
| six | 六 | liù |
| To flow, often smoothly | 流 | liú |
| seven | 七 | qī |
| to rise | 起 | qǐ |
| vital energy | 气 | qì |
| eight | 八 | bā |
| To make a lot of money | 发 | fā |
| nine | 九 | jiǔ |
| Long-lasting or having longevity | 久 | jiǔ |
Unlucky Numbers in Chinese
Four
Number 4 (四), pronounced sì, is considered the unluckiest number of all. Why? Because it sounds very similar to the word for death (死).
You’ll notice in a lot of buildings in China that the elevators will be missing the fourth floor.
Five
Five (五), pronounced wǔ, means without or not. This connotes the impossibility to achieve goals.
However, five can also mean good luck as it is also associated with the five elements – earth, water, fire, wood, and metal. The elements are regarded as the basis of the world in ancient Chinese culture and they’re associated with the Chinese emperor.
Seven (七), prounced qí, means and sounds like the Chinese word for cheating in Chinese and is linked with the seventh month which is August. This month is considered a ghost month, bad for business and for everything else important in life.
Seven
Seven (七), pronounced qī is considered unlucky in one sense, as it sounds very similar to 欺 , meaning ‘cheat’.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
| four | 四 | sì |
| ‘death’ | 死 | sǐ |
| five | 五 | wǔ |
| ‘without’ or ‘not’ | 无 | wú |
| seven | 七 | qī |
| to ‘cheat’ or ‘deceive’ | 欺 | qī |
Lucky Number Combinations in Chinese
Lucky and unlucky numbers in Chinese can be combined to add layers of meaning.
- 1366 – For many in The West, the number 13 is considered bad luck. But for the Chinese, when combined with 66, it is considered lucky. 13 is pronounced similar to the Chinese word that means a lifetime and 6 represents smoothness.
- 1988 – In Chinese, 19 sounds similar to ‘forever’ and 8 sounds like the same character which means ‘make a fortune’.
- 3344 and 1314 The way they are pronounced sounds like forever and a lifetime in Chinese. These are expressed by lovers to say their eternal love and affection for each other.
- 1666, 888, 666 and 366 – These are lucky number combinations for the Chinese New Year. They also correspond to the amount of money being placed inside the 红豹 hóngbāo (red envelopes) are given out. They are considered blessings by the older generation to the youth with the added hope that their lives will be smooth.
There is a lot of number slang in Mandarin Chinese. You can check out a huge list of number slang in my very popular post 111 Naughty Mandarin Chinese Words | Insults, Sex, Body, Toilet, etc.
The Chinese Zodiac and Lucky/Unlucky Numbers
The Chinese are big on their own Zodiac signs, and each sign has its own numerical significance.
| Zodiac Animals | Lucky Numbers | Unlucky Numbers | Zodiac Years |
| Rat – 鼠 – shǔ | 2, 3 | 5, 9 | 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox – 牛 – niú | 1, 4 | 5, 6 | 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger – 虎 – hǔ | 1, 3, 4 | 6, 7, 8 | 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit – 兔 – tù | 3, 4, 6 | 1, 7, 8 | 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon – 龍 – lóng | 1, 6, 7 | 3, 8 | 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake – 蛇 – shé | 2, 8, 9 | 1, 6, 7 | 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse – 马 – mǎ | 2, 3, 7 | 1, 5, 6 | 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Ram – 羊 – yáng | 2, 7 | 4, 9 | 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| Monkey – 猴 – hóu | 4, 9 | 2, 7 | 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| Chicken – 鸡 – jī | 5, 7, 8 | 1, 3, 9 | 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| Dog – 狗 – gǒu | 3, 4, 9 | 1, 6, 7 | 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| Pig – 猪 – zhū | 2, 5, 8 | 1, 7 | 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 |
Chinese Numerology: 小写 and 大写
Until fairly recently, I was unaware that there are actually two sets of Chinese characters used for numbers.
- 小写 (xiǎoxiě; lowercase)
- 大写 (dàxiě; uppercase)
The 小写 form of number use is the one most of us know about and is used by most people in nearly all contexts.
The 大写 form is predominantly used for financial transactions due to the 小写 form being too easily forged.
Below is what those numbers look like side by side:
For a full list of simplified-to-traditional number conversions, check out the table below.
| 小写 | 大写 | English |
|---|---|---|
| 零/〇 (líng) | 零 (líng) | 0 |
| 一 (yī) | 壹 (yī) | 1 |
| 二 (èr) | 贰 / 两 (èr/ liǎng) | 2 |
| 三 (sān) | 叁 (sān) | 3 |
| 四 (sì) | 肆 (sì) | 4 |
| 五 (wǔ) | 伍 (wǔ) | 5 |
| 六 (liù) | 陆 (lù) | 6 |
| 七 (qī) | 柒 (qī) | 7 |
| 八 (bā) | 捌 (bā) | 8 |
| 九 (jiǔ) | 玖 (jiǔ) | 9 |
| 十 (shí) | 拾 (shí) | 10 |
| 百 (bǎi) | 佰 (bǎi) | 100 |
| 千 (qiān) | 仟 (qiān) | 1000 |
| 万 (wàn) | 萬 (wàn) | 10,000 |
| 亿 (yì) | 億 (yì) | 100,000,000 |
Summary
Numbers are a fun and fascinating part of the Chinese language and many numbers carry a lot of significance in Chinese culture, and you can demonstrate cultural sensitivity by remembering the information above.
Remember that you can use Chinese numbers to express yourself in a number of ways in Mandarin Chinese. You can learn about number slang and you can
If you want to access more Mandarin learning resources, check out the articles below.
再见！
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- STUDYING MANDARIN AT A UNIVERSITY IN CHINA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW